The Meaning of Silence
What it means to hold back our words can have a range of meanings.
If there’s anything which isn’t usually discussed but could inspire a variety of opinions if it were, that would be the meaning of silence.
We may not notice it, but silence is often brought up in widely different contexts. It can sometimes be voluntary, or something we willingly submit ourselves to for a variety of reasons, and this can sometimes have a positive impact on our personal growth. Other times, it’s something that’s enforced on others, and the results usually aren’t as ideal. Therefore, silence can have a range of meanings which we don’t always take into consideration, but which are still very important, and we would all benefit from gaining a better understanding of them.
On the one hand, silence can be a sign of thoughtfulness and self-discipline. Certain people might always say whatever comes to their minds, including hurtful insults towards those they dislike, lies meant to conceal unpleasant truths, or random gossip causing people to have their reputations ruined. One common saying is that if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Having some random negative thought about another person, or some desire to make up a story to make yourself seem more interesting, but deciding to brush it aside and avoid saying it aloud or typing it out online requires a certain level of self-control which some people seem to be lacking these days. We all have some slips sometimes but knowing when it’s best to say nothing at all would certainly help us out and make our various social environments, both in person and online, much more accessible and safer for all.
Sometimes, silence can also be used as a form of protest or spiritual growth. The Day of Silence is a day dedicated to remembering LGBT individuals for whom it is unsafe to come out, resulting in lives of silence which are often for the sake of survival. Since it’s usually students that take part in this, Day of Silence usually involves a person not saying anything while they’re in school, with participants sometimes wearing t-shirts indicating that they’re involved in this. This can serve as a form of protest or awareness of the silence some LGBT individuals must submit to if they must hide their identities and can teach participants of both the positive and negative aspects of having to submit to silence. By thinking of what these people have to go through, we can learn just how meaningful silence can be, and how without the use of words, we can help give a voice to the voiceless within our society.
There are also spiritual retreats within Buddhism, Christianity, and other religions, as well as events within more secular settings, in which participants are required to remain silent for a certain time, ranging from just one day to full weekends. Their time is usually spent through activities meant to encourage spiritual growth, which could include silent prayer, yoga, or meditation. In addition to not speaking, the use of electronics isn’t usually allowed. Sometimes, participants are allowed to read or journal, while in other retreats, this isn’t allowed because it can be distracting to participants. Such retreats have often been proven to help reduce stress, increase mindfulness, and even improve overall physical health in some ways. It may be a challenge to take part in for many people, but the experience can still be very rewarding and help participants understand the value a moment of silence can have for them.
Sometimes, it’s hard to say whether silence is beneficial or harmful. There’s an old saying that children ought to be seen and not heard. This stresses the value that people often put on children’s behavior. If adults in their lives notice that they’re always following the rules and doing as their parents, teachers, or other adults ask of them, they’re more likely to be considered good kids and get some sort of reward in exchange for this good behavior. But if they decide to act rebellious, which could involve not following certain directions, being too noisy, saying things they shouldn’t be, or getting into fights, they’ll be punished for their actions and often deprived of something they usually want.
Some people might see this as a fair way to raise children, and it is important that children receive a certain amount of discipline as they’re growing up so that they can be considerate of what others need from them and understand the limits for certain behavior early on. However, if we’re constantly expecting obedience from kids, perhaps by always expecting perfect grades or wanting them to only take part in activities or hobbies which parents or teachers approve of, or punishing them for every little offense or those times when they don’t fulfill our expectations, are we really doing the right thing for them? Wouldn’t it be better to let children be heard more often so that those who look after them can better understand their needs?
And then there’s silence that is more problematic, whether because of the damage it does to those who are required to live lives of silence or towards those who face oppression due to the silence of others. When someone’s a victim of abuse, they are often forced by their abusers to remain silent about their situations, making it difficult for them to be willing to stand up for themselves or seek help from others. This form of silence turns out being a dangerous one for the victim, who could risk remaining stuck in that situation for a long time without any form of help.
It can also result in the discrimination of others. At one point, silence was often (and sometimes still is) demanded of women within their families, schools, places of worship, and even workplaces, requiring them to be submissive and follow orders without being able to do much for themselves. Under such oppression, sexism was the norm within society throughout much of history, and many women must still work towards making sure their voices are heard within all levels of society. Circumstances involving racism and homophobia could also force people into silence, particularly when they are faced with harassment simply for being who they are, making them fearful of telling anyone about what they go through out of fear of being ignored or facing further discrimination. This is one type of silence which should not be idealized.
There’s also silence that comes from those who witness bad or evil things happening around them but choose not to say or do anything about it. This can happen either when the government puts policies in place that directly target certain groups of people, or in more direct settings where someone is harassing or discriminating against someone in some way while in their presence.
There are several reasons why this might happen. There are some who just don’t care about what’s going on or even support it for various reasons, making them nearly complacent in the wrongdoing. Others might be afraid of the consequences they’d face if they speak up, either towards themselves or those that are close to them and could therefore be impacted by anything that happens to them. This is probably more common than we’re aware of, and while such situations can be understandable, there’s a risk that such individuals will permit the suffering of others in exchange for safety and comfort in their own lives, not wanting to do anything until they themselves are directly impacted by it. There come times when we simply can’t remain silent while others around us are facing terrible things, where refusing to speak up could result in our own situations eventually becoming worse in the long run, or the loss of people’s lives and even the downfall of our society overall.
This is why we should all gain a better understanding of the meaning of silence. We need to know when it’s something that can help us grow as individuals and when it needs to be put aside so that we can use our voices to improve our own situations and those of the people around us. Silence is something that can help us become more thoughtful over how we express our opinions and how our words can impact others, or it can help bring awareness of certain causes or help us grow spiritually. It can also result in people being forced to remain voiceless when they are being oppressed or in individuals refusing to speak up when evil things happen around them. Understanding when it’s best to remain silent and when we must speak up can be a major source of personal growth for us, and by discussing this with others and bringing awareness, we can help others reflect on what silence truly means as well.